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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Maître Parfumeur et Gantier- Vocalise

The very second I opened the sample of Vocalise, I knew it might not be a very good idea. I haven't checked the notes, but I vaguely remembered it had something to do with fruit. The opening blast, though, wasn't much of anything: just a sharp alcoholic note, the kind you'd expect from far less exclusive brands. Thankfully, it vanished quickly on my skin, replaced with so much berry that my anti-fruit nose was screaming and I was planning a mad dash to the sink.

It wasn't that bad, though. Yes, blackcurrants and raspberries are not my thing, but the blend here isn't too syrupy. I guess it's the quality ingredients that are keeping it from going the synthetic jam way. Not that I didn't have the "No! No! No!" moment of panic every time I tested it again for this review, but I managed to brace myself and deal.

As the scent develops, the florals emerge, and they're nice enough. It's nothing you haven't smelled before. It's mostly rose and ylang-ylang, in a classic combination that would remind you of many perfumes you have probably owned at one point or another. It has an almost Goutalish quality, pretty and very French. But it doesn't hold: not my interest and not my nose, and while Vocalise boasts lower notes such as vanilla, sandalwood, musk and ambergris(!), I would swear that is has no base at all. The fragrance completely disappears from my skin after 15 minutes and doesn't leave even one berry behind.

Many of the MPG scents are available both from Aedes in NYC and Luckyscent in L.A., both are good places to obtain samples. They are also sold at Bendel, Bergdorf and several other fancy stores. My own pack of 30 MPG carded samples was purchased for less than a song on eBay, when it was still a common practice.

If there's a single fruit note in a perfume, my skin's guaranteed to bring it forth, put it in the limelight and make it the star of its own show; needless to say, I avoid this kind of stuff.But sometimes, just for some perverse sense of duty, I sample a new one. Today, it was Louve.At first it was almonds, then it was cherries, then it was sweet almonds and sweeter cherries. I can't tell how many sprays of AdB Bursch it took to cover it ( I was at work and had only that bottle ) after some vigorous washing.

Edwardian- My kryptonite is peach note. My skin amplifies it until I'm swallowed alive. I can't stand the stuff.Chemistry does amazing things. I get very little cherry from Louve. On my skin it's milky almonds and soft rose that dries into smooth woods. And it's not as strong as I'd like it to be!Have you tried Luctor et Emergo? This one has a lot of almond and cherries, until the incense comes out. I thought it was lovely on me, until I smelled it on my husband, who apparently was born to wear it.

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